


To Have and To Hold

by LuminousGloom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Commitment, Committed Relationship, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, M/M, Marauders, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, Sex, Weddings, popping the question, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 08:30:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2061177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuminousGloom/pseuds/LuminousGloom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One for the wedding season.<br/>The night of James and Lily's wedding, and the morning after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Have and To Hold

'Great speech!' James beamed and handed Sirius a tumbler of iced firewhisky. 'Where've you been all this time? It's suddenly got - hic! - really late.'

'Entertaining your guests. And raiding the buffet - thought we'd give you some space. Cheers.' They clinked glasses. 'Pete and Moony made me pare back that speech quite a bit. But I'm glad now that we've toned it down, some of your your relatives look too frail to handle any shocking revelations.' 

'Yeah. Thanks. Where is Wormtail?'

'Outside, I think,' Sirius took a swig and sat down next to James in one of the festive wicker armchairs, charmed to instantly sprout all sorts of small fragrant flowers. 

They watched the wedding guests crowding the dance floor - relatives and friends and neighbours, former classmates, and even a few teachers. 

‘Snape’s finally pushed off. And Dumbledore’s been telling us to call him Albus, imagine,’ Sirius reported. ‘Bet that’ll take some getting used to.'

‘Good party though, isn’t it?’ James gestured grandly while trying to suppress a hiccup. 'And the music is brilliant, people are - hic! - really going for it...'

'Yeah.' Sirius grinned. 'Look at McGonagall throwing shapes - who knew.'

As the song changed to a slower number couples formed and began twirling.

'Just look at her,' James said dreamily, his eyes fixed on his bride who was now dancing quite beautifully with one of her oldest and best friends, Remus. 'The most gorgeous girl in the world.'

Smiling, Sirius leaned closer and patted him on the back. 'You've done well there, mate. Congratulations.' They clinked glasses again. 'It's great to see you two so happy.'

'Thanks, Pads. So are y-hic! - you though, aren't you. Happy, I mean? You and Moony?'

Sirius shrugged. 'Course. But don't expect us to be throwing this sort of bash any time soon. Not officially anyway.'

'Right...' James gulped down some of his drink. 'Would you want to? Get married, I mean?'

Sirius shrugged again. 'No offence, but a bit young, aren't we? And remember what a palaver it was just to convince him to move in together.' He took a swig of whisky.  
'But otherwise - yes, I s'ppose... I probably would.' 

'Really?' James was beaming again, obviously all loved up by the occasion, by what had been an emotional day, and not least by the lavish supply of excellent booze. 'Awww...'

'Steady on, old chap,' Sirius said gruffly.  
James hiccuped.

Lily and Remus were still dancing. She did make a stunning bride in her flowing gown, her hair all done up, her whole being radiating joy. Remus was smiling, too, probably teasing her as he spun her around and into various daring moves. 

'Why's Moony wearing Muggle gear by the way?' James enquired.

'To confuse Lily's Muggle family, I think. And he said it was somehow easier for him to get hold of in London, not sure why exactly. Suits him rather well, don't you think?'

When Sirius had first seen him in that suit - the smooth black material, sharply cut, the crisp white shirt, the braces - he'd realised he'd always vastly underestimated Muggle tailoring.

'Yes. Lily said he's already made quite an impression on two distant cousins of hers. Apparently they're trying to work up the courage to talk to him.'

'Lily's not shattered their illusion then?' Sirius took another sip. 'His arse does look fantastic in those trousers.'

'All right, enough of that,' James winced, waving his hands dismissively the way he always did when threatened with graphic details of his best friend's sex life. Sirius laughed and they both drank some more.

'It is a crying shame really, in a way.' James continued after several stifled hiccups. 'All these girls forever falling for you two, and never getting anywhere. And even when they find out why, it still won't put them off... What a waste.'

Sirius gave him a stern look, but James didn't notice, still watching Lily with undisguised awe.

'I just think it's strange,' he continued after a bit. 'There you two are in a metropolis, this whole new world - new people, new experiences... I mean aren't you ever tempted to, you know, venture further afield, at all?'

Sirius took a deep gulp of whisky and shrugged. 'Tempted? Why, are you?'

'It's different -'

'Is it? Bloody hell, Prongs. What's brought this on?' Sirius was flaring up rather quickly, after all he wasn't entirely sober either. 'So you've just got married and you're about ten sheets to the wind, but how - dare you suggest it's any different?!' 

'Wha...? Wait, no - look, Pads, what L-hic! What Lily and I have -'

Sirius shook his head, frowning. 'It's no different at all, not in the slightest. We've both known Lily and Remus for the exact same amount of time, which incidentally is just as long as we've known each other. Perhaps I've never taken your relationship with Lily entirely seriously, at least not until recently, or even until today. And perhaps you feel the same way about me and Remus. But you'd better take it seriously. We're serious. I'm serious.' 

Sirius drained his glass, set it down sharply and added with a small conciliatory grin, 'Would have thought that much was obvious.'

James hiccuped. He seemed stunned and slightly confused as he watched Sirius get up from his chair and walk straight onto the dance floor. Remus and Lily were still dancing, and Sirius gallantly cut in. Lily smiled at the devilishly handsome young man in his wizarding finery, but it was Remus he whisked away, and other friends instantly crowded around her. 

Sirius moved lightly, directing his surprised dancing partner to the centre of the floor, before drawing him into a tight embrace. 

'What are you doing?' Remus asked close to his ear. They'd always kept public displays of affection to a minimum, or to none at all when there were Muggles around.

'Making it obvious,' Sirius said. 'About us. That we're serious.'  
Then he kissed Remus, snogged him right there in the crowd, just as the song was coming to an end and the dancing couples around them began to dissolve and drift apart.

'Sirius!' When they came up for air Remus looked slightly scandalised. He looked amused, too, happy even, his eyes alight.

'Indeed.' Sirius smiled back at him, unable to resist the age old pun. 'Deadly serious.' 

Remus grinned and rolled his eyes. They kissed again. The band had launched into a fast and very popular number and people started going wild. It was late, the party had been going for hours, and everyone had got sufficiently inebriated to properly let loose.

Guests of all ages were boogying, windmilling, doing the chicken step and the crazy crocodile, swinging, jitterbugging, and generally shaking around. Even Lily's elderly great-uncle was tripping the light fantastic. At the centre of the throng, Remus and Sirius slowly came apart. They seemed dazed for a moment. Then they wove through the crowd and stole away.

 

'Let's go up there,' Remus suggested outside, leading the way to a neighbouring barn. They climbed up a ladder to the hayloft, carefully made their way along a wooden beam and climbed even higher, eventually squeezing through a small window out onto the thatched roof. 

'Look! The Milky Way!' Sirius marveled at the view. 

The sky was a deep inky blue, glittering with stars. They could hear the band in the distance, now playing a rapid polka.

'So what was all that about?' Remus wanted to know as they sat down on the ridge of the roof.  
He murmured 'Accio drinks,' and soon two open bottles came sailing through the air straight from the buffet table, spilling a thin trickle of wine into the yard below. Remus deftly caught the bottles, they took one each. 

'Nothing.' Sirius pulled out a cigarette and offered Remus the packet. 'Well, I was feeling romantic.'

Remus gave him a look. Sirius lit both their cigarettes with a small wave of his hand. 'All right, Prongs was being a prick. And I was feeling romantic.'

'A prick how?'

'Saying what a shame it was we're not - well, he's drunk. Probably didn't mean it.' 

Sirius inhaled deeply. There was a pause while he let the sweet smoke spill from his mouth. Moony was waiting for him to elaborate.

'He wondered,' he continued, 'why we're not going around shagging other people. Girls, and - Londoners, I s'ppose...? I dunno. Called it "a waste" that you're not currently getting off with every girl that fancies you.'

'Oh. Well, he's not wrong,' Remus cracked a smile. 'It is a tragic loss for the rest of humanity that we're wasting ourselves on each other.'

'Perhaps. But the way he said it... He's still waiting for one of us to finally see sense and break it off, as though this were just some temporary affair, or a stupid fling.' Sirius gulped down some wine. 'He doesn't seem to realise that - that we have in fact seen sense. That it's already taken us bloody long enough.'

Moony said nothing. He was looking up at the stars, the tip of his cigarette glowing red as he took a long drag.

'He even asked me,' Sirius continued darkly, 'whether we'd consider it, you know, tying the knot and that. I told him we're obviously much too young and nowhere near square enough, but that - well, if it came to it I - probably would...' he stuttered to a halt, glancing at his friend.

This wasn't at all where he'd intended to end up. It was too dark to tell, but Moony's expression didn't seem to have changed.

'Anyway,' he said quickly, 'apparently he finds the idea sort of - quaint. Said it wasn't the same. Nothing like him and Lily...'

There was a pause. Sirius sucked on his cigarette angrily.

'Are you sure?' Remus' voice came after a bit. 'Doesn't sound like Prongs. I can't believe that's what he meant.'

'His very words.'

'Still. Maybe there's something else going on... Something we don't know about.'

'What could there be?' Sirius drank deeply from his wine. 'I can't imagine - there's nothing to justify him turning into such a sanctimonious pillock.' He took another swig.  
'Either way, it's high time he took us - this - for what it is. That's why I wanted to - er, make a public gesture. Even if it maybe was a bit misguided...' Sirius sighed. 'I s'ppose they can always Obliverate any blasted Muggles who took offense.'

'Yes,' Moony said thoughtfully. 

They drank and smoked in silence. After a while Remus asked, 'So you really think this is it? That - we are that serious?'

'Don't you?'

'I dunno. I haven't really let myself think about it...'

'Well, you should. It's obvious we're brilliant together. Have been for years. Haven't we?' 

The question hung in the air for a bit. Sirius took a deep breath.

'I know this is another wolf thing.' he said softly. 'Never expecting anything. Avoiding issues of commitment. But you do know - you must know I'm - all yours.' 

He drank from his bottle and added even more quietly, 'Have been for years.'

'Yes,' Remus said with what sounded like a smile. 'I do know that.'

He got up and flicked his cigarette over the edge, only for it to ricochet off a weather vane and fly down onto the thatch, where it descended further, leaving a trail of orange sparks. It ended up near the edge of the roof, its end still smouldering, the red glow intensifying rapidly. 

'Boggarts,' Remus cursed.

Sirius jumped up and liberally doused the thatch with wine, trying to extinguish the tiny flame. He didn't quite catch it, so Remus hastily put it out using Aguamenti, dramatically drenching a whole part of the roof. The drying spell he then applied to it made the water disappear again in wisps of steam.

Surveying the result of Remus' wildly disproportionate spellwork, they laughed.

'Just narrowly avoided disaster there,' Sirius grinned, throwing an arm around his friend and crushing his own cigarette underfoot. 

Remus pulled him closer, they kissed briefly. 

'Well,' he said then, 'I suppose I probably would, too. Take you down the aisle, I mean. Get hitched. If - should it ever come up.'

Sirius beamed at him and they kissed again, more passionately now, embarking on a full blown snog. Their hands roamed up and down and around their bodies, into each other's fancy outfits, their hips slowly grinding together.

'I can think of another passage you can take me up, for now,' Sirius murmured breathlessly near Remus' ear. 'If you like.'

Remus laughed softly. 'Oh yeah?' He scraped his hands down Sirius' back and squeezed his bum. 

'Yes,' Sirius sighed, bucking his hips in response. 'Fancy a roll in the hay?'

 

They let themselves drop through the small window, landing in the mass of hay, a soft and fragrant bed that smelled of summer. 

Remus just about had time to ignite his wand before Sirius launched himself onto him, tickling him, burying his face in the dried grass and rubbing more into his hair and neck, until Remus shrugged him off and retaliated. They wrestled wildly, laughing and sneezing, until they were locked in a tight embrace, and Remus kissed him.

It was a very thorough kiss, fierce and tender and open, tasting of wine and smoke. They snogged more, Remus' hand cupping Sirius' cheek as he claimed his mouth, tongues roaming and exploring. 

Meanwhile Sirius was busy feeling him up beneath his suit jacket, yanking at the crisp white shirt, fingers slipping into the waistband of those Muggle trousers. He fumbled with buttons, undid the braces, finally getting the shirt out of the way and his hands on Moony's abdomen, all that warm and delicious skin.

After a minute or so Sirius broke their kiss, breathing hard. He rolled them over so he was on top and continued tugging at Remus' clothes. 'Get it off, all of this,' he huffed, 'Merlin, these Muggle suits are stubborn.'

Remus chuckled. 'Give me a chance,' he said, wriggling out of his jacket.  
When he saw Sirius impatiently drawing his wand he added, 'Don't you dare! I've got to return this suit unharmed.'

'Right,' Sirius grumbled and sat up. He firmly pulled down Remus' trousers and boxers and appraised what he'd uncovered with a satisfied grin. 

He began by snogging Remus again hungrily, nuzzling against his neck, kissing his chest, his belly, tracing the odd scar with his tongue. He teased his nipples playfully, which made Moony sigh and breathe more heavily, and he gently placed his hand on Moony's side, covering the brutal welts of the bite. Moony allowed it, so he caressed the tender area very slightly. When Remus shivered beneath him he decided not to push his luck and quickly moved on.

He ventured lower, lavishing attention on the straining cock, lapping along the length, licking, teasing, sucking at the swollen head, the glistening slit, making Remus moan softly again and again. Then Sirius drew the whole shaft into his mouth and set to work on him properly.  
Soon Remus' hand tangled in his hair, holding Sirius steady as he pushed into him fast and hard, fucking his mouth until he suddenly protested breathlessly, and came, pulsing into Sirius' mouth, panting wildly.

Sirius smiled around him and released him, planting kisses on the insides of his friend's lean thighs. He moved up and kissed Remus' parted lips.

'Sorry. That,' Remus slurred, 'dunno what - you were just - too...' He ran a hand across his own face, sighing contentedly, then cupped Sirius' cheek and added, 'You'll have to do the honours now I'm afraid...'  
He bent his knees slightly, opening his legs wider in invitation.

'With pleasure,' Sirius grinned, already running his thumb down into the cleft of Remus' arse. 'Always happy to oblige.' 

They kissed again, then Sirius broke contact and quickly shrugged out of his clothes. One of Remus' hands went straight for his newly revealed cock with the other fondling his balls, and they snogged some more until Sirius softly told him to turn around. With a lusty sigh Remus promptly let go of him and rolled onto his front, eagerly lifting his arse up in the air. Sirius moved up behind him, groaning with desire at what he was about to do, caressing those gorgeous buttocks, that muscular back, and went back to finding the puckered hole.

He'd barely cast the silent lubrication charm when he realised Remus had got there first. His finger slipped in, moving and nudging deeper, but didn't linger for long. He couldn't wait, and Remus sounded more than ready. Sirius lined himself up, dragging a trail of precum along the cleft. He aligned his cock with Remus' slippery hole and pushed in, slowly and steadily. They both let out deep guttural moans as the steely length slid into the hot, velvety passage. Sirius pulled out a bit only to enter him even further. 

Remus was moving back against him, wanting more, demanding to feel him more thoroughly. Sirius held on to his hips to steady him and took his time, fucking him slowly and deliberately. He rolled his hips, aiming for Remus' prostate, he varied his strokes, slowing down to playfully nip at Remus' shoulder, the back of his neck. He reached around and grasped Remus' desperately leaking cock, fisting it firmly in time with his own hips. Then he picked up speed and really went at it, setting a fast pace which had both of them panting and cursing wildly.

He came suddenly, almost taken by surprise. The wave crashed into him, rockets launched, volcanos erupted. He was bowled over, overwhelmed, delirious. It took him several moments to regain his sense of reality. He felt dizzy. Remus' cum was wet on his hand. Sirius kissed the beloved shoulder, nuzzled into the crook of his neck, tasting salty sweat.

They were still panting softly when, once uncoupled, they sank back into the fragrant grass. 

'That's what I call a roll in the hay,' Sirius grinned.

'And a half,' chuckled Remus and sighed pleasurably.

'Look, there's Cassiopeia,' he said after a bit, pointing at a small gap in the roof.

'S'ppose a cigarette is out of the question,' Sirius mumbled, and sneezed.

They gazed up at the stars. The band was still playing in the distance.

 

'You know, what we talked about earlier,' Sirius broke their comfortable silence. His voice was quiet and earnest.  
'I have actually thought about it. It's been on my mind for a while now. Ever since James started harping on about rings and so on, and how to pop the question to Evans...'

'Has it?' Remus eyed him curiously.

'Yeah.' He let out a nervous laugh. 'I mean, I wouldn't want a fancy do or anything, but, well... There's a war on. Things are bound to get hairy. And I s'ppose I - I'd just like us to be together. Whatever happens. For however long we have left.'

'Oh,' Remus managed, taking a deep breath. He seemed genuinely surprised and somewhat unnerved by the situation.

'The thing is,' Sirius cleared his throat. 'The truth is that - well, I love you, Remus. I think - I only really know what love is because of you. I don't want to be without you. We should stay together, ideally 'til we're old and decrepit. If not longer.'

There was a pause before he continued.  
'So - what do you reckon...?'

Remus was looking at him quizzically. He seemed concerned, but a smile appeared on his lips. 'Maybe we should do it then,' he said slowly. 

'Yeah,' Sirius beamed. 

Remus smoothly raised himself up, coming to rest on one elbow. He took Sirius' hand in his.  
'Sirius Incorrigble Nightmare Black,' he intoned gravely. 'Will you do me the great honour of becoming my - unlawfully appointed husband?'

Sirius cracked his most radiant smile yet. 'Yes!' he said emphatically. 'Course I will. That's my proposal you're hijacking.'  
He squeezed Remus' hand, and they kissed.

'And you, Remus John Most Exasperating Moony,' he asked then, quietly, his lips close to Remus' ear. 'Will you be mine?'

Remus nodded ceremoniously. 'I do. I mean, I will. Yes. I am.'

They both laughed softly, happily, and snogged some more. 

'Glad we've got that out of the way,' Sirius sighed when they'd come apart. He rolled back into the soft hay and stretched comfortably.  
'Sorry there isn't a ring or anything. There was going to be. Just didn't expect us to be doing this now, today...'

Remus seemed to be considering this.  
'Don't worry,' he said. 'I'm not that big on jewellery anyway. Maybe we could do something else altogether?'

'Tattoos! Yes!' Sirius agreed eagerly, eyes shining. He'd been wanting a tattoo for ages, not least to go with his flying motorbike. The only reason he'd been holding back was so as to not get mixed up with wearers of the Dark Mark and their ilk.

Remus was looking doubtful.

'Or maybe not a tattoo exactly.' Sirius explained. 'There is this one marking charm I've found. It's only small, leaves whatever design you decide on. Perpetuates itself for as long as there is a connection between the people it marks. We could do that?'

'Sounds good.' Remus said. 'You really have looked into this.'  
Sirius just shrugged and smiled.

They snogged again, and before long embarked on another round of exquisite shagging. This time it was Remus who administered an expert handjob while at the same time gently working Sirius open.  
Then he moved lower and licked and lapped at and suckled on Sirius' cock as he fingered him, taking him deep into his throat, taking his maddening time, driving him to desperation. He laved his balls, he playfully bit the cheek of his arse.

When he did give in to Sirius' pleas, lifting the strong legs and finally sliding his cock home in one swift motion, he paused for the merest moment, overwhelmed. Sirius froze for an instant, too.

Then there were Sirius' hands gripping his arms, hips canting up against him, impatiently urging him on, demanding more.

So Remus proceeded to shag him, at first gently, thoroughly, then relentlessly. He drove into him again and again, fucking him now slowly and tenderly, now faster and wilder, now without any inhibition. Their bodies fit into each other beautifully, and they revelled in the sharing of pleasure, the push and pull, the give and take. 

They changed position several times - with Sirius straddling him, then on their side, until he eventually had him on his hands and knees and shagged him in the classic canine manner. Remus' stamina was impressive, and his skillful ministrations made Sirius gasp and pant and babble deliriously, making him come not just once, but relentlessly making him come again.  
As he shot his load for that mindblowing second time Remus was still pistoning into him, coming apart himself just a moment later.  
They collapsed in a sticky heap, only gradually managing to catch their breath. 

There was a trilling sound outside, and whistling.

'That's not the dawn chorus?' Remus asked, surprised. It took him some effort to move, he withdrew gently.

'Won't be long till the sun comes up. Let's just stay up here,' Sirius mumbled, snuggling against the warm body. 'We do sleep in real beds all the time...'  
He heaped a load more hay on top of them and added a little heating charm. 'See? It's cosy.'

Moony chuckled and ran his hands down Sirius' chest, sleepily murmuring something into the crook of his neck. 

'You, too.' Sirius said softly, yawned, and they rapidly drifted off to sleep.

When they awoke just a few hours later the birds in every nearby tree were making a positive racket, a cockerel crowed in the yard, and all the hay surrounding them caused Sirius to sneeze violently and repeatedly. 

'How about that proper bed now,' Remus rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. Above their heads sunlight was streaming through the gaps in the roof, catching golden flecks of dust dancing in the air.

'Yes,' Sirius agreed, 'and we could have a bath! Remember the size of that tub in our room...'

They stretched their limbs, feeling the effects of their raucous lovemaking. Then they gathered up their clothes, and slipped into their trousers. Remus carefully buttoned up his shirt while Sirius shook out his dress robes and threw them over one shoulder.

'Let's just apparate back, shall we?' Sirius suggested. 

'I'm not sure I even remember where exactly our room is. Do you?'

'Course. Got everything? Hold on tight...'

 

The first thing Sirius noticed was cold tiles under his bare feet, which was all wrong. As was the smell of bacon frying - and the laughter and exclamations of surprise.  
It seemed they'd mis-apparated into the large kitchen where the wedding breakfast was being prepared. Members of James' and Lily's families were milling about, assisted by various helpers, neighbours, and friends. There was a brief pause when they all stopped in their tracks, taking a break from opening bottles of elder fizz, arranging fruit platters and flowers, slicing cakes, or cooking mountains of bacon and eggs, and stared instead at the unexpected arrivals.

They must present quite a picture - two bleary eyed young men, half dressed and with hay in their clothes and hair, still holding on to each other from their sidelong apparition.

'Oops,' Sirius said audibly, flashing his most winning smile. 'Must’ve got the wrong building, sorry about that.'

Next to him Remus looked mortified. 'We thought we'd, um, lost something in the barn...' he tried by way of an explanation.

A couple of girls, most likely Lily’s distant cousins, blushed and giggled, ogling Sirius' bare chest. Some of the adults laughed and said things like 'Morning!' and 'Good night, was it?' and carried on what they were doing. Others eyed them suspiciously, shaking their heads, probably drawing their own conclusions. 

'Yes, brilliant, thanks,' Sirius replied, still beaming, and taking Remus' arm as they moved towards the door he said 'Come on then, darling. Let's talk rings.' 

'Get off!' Remus pushed him away, laughing.

'Wasn't that the best man?' enquired Lily's elderly great-aunt when the two boys had left the room. 'Who is his friend? They're not really a couple, are they?'

The girls giggled again, somewhat uncertainly, and the great-aunt seemed flummoxed, too.  
'How extraordinary. Didn't look like pansies to me. I suppose you never can tell.'

 

Meanwhile the young men in question walked down the hallway and out into the glaring early morning sun. 

'Now they'll have to Obliverate those Muggles all over again,' Remus observed.

Sirius just shrugged. 'Might as well wait till the end of the festivities. Who knows what we'll still get up to.'

'Not in public though I hope, for everybody's sake...'

Sirius beamed at him and took his hand.

They crossed the yard and found the right building. Before they reached the door it was pushed open from the inside, and James emerged. He looked worn out yet excited, his shirt was all askew and his eyes had a reddish tinge.

'There you are! Been looking all over for you! What have you-' then, taking in their appearance he grinned. 'Never mind.'

'All right, Prongs?' Sirius said. 'What's going on, shouldn't you still be in your wedding bed?'

'Lily's already up, she's, er, having her hair done or something, and I had to-' he stopped himself and cleared his throat. 'Shall we go inside?'

He led the way back to his friends' guest quarters. 

'Had a good night then?' Sirius enquired politely.

'Yeah,' James said, holding the door open for them, which led to a wonky corridor.  
'Not quite as good as yours though, by the looks of things.'

'Moony here did almost set the barn on fire.' 

'Barely at all,' Remus explained quickly. 'Sorry. Nothing really happened, we've fixed it.'

'He still did though, figuratively speaking,' Sirius added with a mischievous grin, 'Set it alight just a bit later.'

'Oh please, Pads,' Remus said, keeping a straight face. 'You were quite the firecracker yourself.'

'All right, all right,' James waved his hand impatiently. 'Glad you had fun. No need to go into the gory details...'

They entered the spacious guest room. It was very comfortable, with exposed beams and a big old fireplace. Over the centuries the house had moved and settled at slightly odd angles. Still it was bright and airy, with the massive four-poster patently unslept in.

Even through the thick walls they could hear the unmistakeable sound of Peter's snoring next door.

'Drink?' Sirius proceeded to the bar cabinet where he set out some glasses and began to assemble his favourite concoction of juniper wine and Russian spirits.

'Bit early, isn't it...?' James said, rubbing his head. 'But, er - yes, actually. Please.'

'Been doing some celebrating of our own, you see.' Remus explained. Sirius looked up, surprised. 

James just seemed weirdly fidgety. 'Have you?'

'Yeah. We've sort of - proposed. To each other.' Remus said gravely. 'I suppose you could say we're engaged.'

There was a brief silence while James glanced from Remus to a stunned looking Sirius.  
'And about time, too!' he exclaimed then, breaking into a radiant smile. 'That's brilliant news. Congratulations!'

He hugged them both, beaming. 'Nice one, mate,' he said to Sirius, then 'Moony, you seem to know what you're doing...'

As James clapped him on the back Remus raised his eyebrows at Sirius. Sirius shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

'But you've come to tell us something, haven't you,' Remus said then. 'Let me go and get Wormtail. Sounds like he might possibly still be asleep.'

James nodded. 'Yeah. Please.' 

Remus disappeared. James sat down in an armchair and straight away got up again, pacing a little. He gladly took the drink Sirius presented to him, and smiled nervously.

'Cheers. Congratulations again,' Sirius said as they clinked glasses.

'And to you! Well done. Who actually popped the question in the end?'  
They tasted their drinks, which packed a punch this early in the day.  
'Thought you said you weren't the marrying kind.'

Sirius grinned. 'We sort of both did. And I still don't want a wedding or anything, to be honest. I just - you know. Want to be with him. For keeps.'

The snoring next door seemed to have diminished.

James nodded. 'Glad to hear it, mate. You know I've had my doubts in the past... but you two put some other couples to shame.'  
He sat down again. 'Sometimes I really envy you.' He drank deeply. 'In some ways you just have it so much easier.'

Sirius snorted. 'Yeah. Except for having to be careful all the time. Forever hoodwinking Muggles, and being bloody discreet about everything. Alienating and enraging my demented family - mind you, I'd have managed that no matter what. But dealing with their random threats... And let's not mention Moony's affliction.' He cleared his throat. 'While other people get to publicly slobber all over their girlfriends at every opportunity.'

'I know, I know. But you do make it look so easy...'

'Thought you said it wasn't "the same". Didn't "compare" to what you and Lily have?'

James seemed surprised by this statement, and by the irritated edge to his friend's voice.  
'Did I say that?' He pushed his glasses up his nose. 'To be honest - well. You've no idea what-'

Just then Remus and Peter came in. Pete looked decidedly worse for wear, but in good spirits. He, too, seemed to have slept in his dress robes.

'Morning,' he grinned at them all, his mind too foggy to register any tension in the room. 'Sleep all right? Prunella was up vomiting until about six, can't hold her drink, she's still out for the count...' He yawned. 'Great night though. So what's all this about, Prongs? Remus says you've got something to tell us - what's happened?'

Sirius handed him a glass, at which he sniffed appreciatively.

'Oh, nothing bad,' James said quickly. 'Just, you know, um -'

He hesitated. They were all looking at him.

'Would've thought you'd still be in bed, making sweet love to your freshly minted wife...' Pete continued blindly. 'Maybe even worked on a little prongslet...?'

James put his glass down. 'Yes. Well. That's sort of it. We seem to have - made one already.' 

There was a pause.

'We're having a baby. Lily's pregnant.'  
As he looked at them in turn a nervous smile stole onto his lips.

Sirius was the first to break the stunned silence. 'Blistering barn owls,' he said, comprehending. This explained a few things about James' and particularly Lily's recent behaviour. 'Of course.'

He eyed his best friend. 'And - are you happy about it?'

James nodded, now grinning sheepishly. 'Yeah. I think so.'

'But that's brilliant!' Sirius drew him into a bear hug, excitedly ruffling his hair. 'Bloody hell, James! A baby! That's mental. A little tiny Prongs! Fantastic! That's great news.'

'Thanks, Pads...'

Sirius let go of him, still beaming. 'Think of all the stuff we'll teach him. Or her.' 

'Congratulations,' Peter said, dazed, hugging James. 'Merlin, Prongs. Fast worker, aren't you? Didn't see that one coming. How long have you known?'

'Cheers, Pete. Only yesterday,' James said. 'And it's still early days, so don't go round telling anyone else yet. But I had to say something.'

Remus hugged him, too, clapping him on the back. 'You're going to be a brilliant dad. Congratulations.'

'I hope so,' James laughed and shrugged. 'Thanks, Moony. I still can't quite believe it, actually.'

For a while, as the stiff drink went down and took its effect, they all talked excitedly and at once. They clinked glasses repeatedly, celebrating the new Marauder-in-the-making, James' nuptials, and of course Remus' and Sirius' decision to make honest men of each other.

'Didn't think you'd go in for that,' Peter observed when they'd revealed their plans to him. 'Bit traditional for you, isn't it?'

'I know,' Sirius said darkly. 'But the way I see it - it's got to be done, mate.'

 

Eventually James and Peter left to get ready for breakfast. Sirius let himself flop heavily into their large guest bed. 

'A baby,' he murmured at the ceiling. 'Can't get over it. Prongs will be hilarious as a dad.'

Remus yawned and dropped down next to him, comfortably stretching his limbs.

'Might have at least tried to look surprised.' Sirius said with a sidelong glance. 'How did you know? Evans tell you?'

Remus shook his head. 'I didn't. Just - guessed, I suppose. And she's not been drinking, I had some of her cocktail last night. It was a decoy.'

Sirius chuckled. He turned to face his friend and gently picked a stray piece of hay out of his hair.

'We're going to be that pair of weird uncles, aren't we.' Remus continued darkly. 'Never would've thought I'd end up one of them.'

'The weirdest,' agreed Sirius. 'What's wrong with that?'

'Oh - maybe it's a Muggle thing. You know. Uncles who - are a bit funny. Wear bow ties, and mince around, eating chocolate creams and talking about opera, and people refer to them as "not the marrying kind"...'

'What?' Sirius frowned, utterly puzzled. 'Dunno what you're on about. Neither of us wears bow ties or even likes opera? You do eat a load of chocolate, and we've talked about the mincing, Moony,' he laughed again, not even trying to avoid the inevitable sharp elbow in his side.  
'But more to the point, I thought we'd established that we absolutely are the marrying kind. We'll just be the weird uncles who wreak havoc and know exotic spells and lead the poor child astray. We'll be uncles to be proud of.'

Remus grinned. 'Yeah.'

They kissed briefly.

Then Sirius wriggled his hips up and down, making both of them bounce a little on the mattress.

'Look at the suspension on this thing.' he said. 'Perhaps we should - give it a quick whirl?'

'And you're always calling me insatiable. I don't know, Pads...' But Remus seemed to be considering the idea. 

'We'll be late for breakfast no matter what.'

'It's not that. I just think - we should get ourselves cleaned up, shouldn't we.' Remus said earnestly. 'How about we try out that giant bathtub...?'


End file.
